Homeless families are being turned away

Cassandra O'Connor

HOMELESS families seeking accommodation are being turned away from shelters because of a shortage of beds, according to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

As many as 80 per cent of new applications for temporary housing by couples with children cannot be met on a daily basis, the report found.

By comparison, about 50 per cent of people without children found accommodation at homeless shelters.

The report was based on a survey over two weeks in December which involved 70 per cent of welfare agencies that are registered for government support.

Because families stay longer than individuals, there is a slower turnover of available beds, the institute's housing and homelessness spokeswoman, Felicity Murdoch, said.

''Whereas single men and women might only need accommodation for a few, or certain nights per week, family needs for housing are constant for longer periods of time,'' she said.

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Couples, on average, stay in emergency accommodation for 168 days, four times that of individuals.

The report also shows that of total new requests for housing, 62 per cent of people were turned away, a rate stable with previous years.

Only 9 per cent of agencies providing support for homeless people specialise in accommodating family groups, according to the institute.

Shelters are resorting to hotel accommodation to cope with the bed shortage, Wesley Mission's public affairs manager, Graeme Cole, said.

''Traditionally, homes have been geared towards single people rather than families, but with the number of homeless families increasing, we have turned to hotels and motels in western Sydney as a temporary solution,'' he said. ''People in our accommodation generally stay for nine months but they become trapped in the housing roundabout with no exit due to the current rental squeeze.''

Families are particularly hard hit by a shortage of public housing in the state, Narelle Clay, the chief executive of Southern Youth and Family Services, said.

''The government is increasing the supply of public housing but it is taking time to build the amount of stock we need,'' she said.

People who fail to find short-term emergency accommodation are, however, offered other services by homeless shelters, she said, such as referrals to other housing agencies, primary healthcare, social education and court support.

''It is not just about the provision of housing but the relationships which can be formed with [community] workers so that the appropriate support can be given,'' Ms Clay said.

''Many homeless people also suffer from other problems like alcoholism and abuse and have been estranged from their support networks.''